Wal-Mart Labor Struggles to Result in Black Friday Protests

In an interesting piece over at CNN Money, it looks as though Walmart will have its hands full during this upcoming holiday season as workers plan to protest pay and scheduling issues. Consistent with other minimum wage protests that have been followed on this blog, Walmart employees are asking to receive $15 an hour so that they can be paid a much more livable wage. The protests are expected to heat up on black Friday, one of the most important days of the year for the retailer and the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. Organizers are expecting the protest to take place at approximately 1600 stores nation-wide. The article is interesting as it also discusses some of the past labor strife workers have encountered with the retailer. From the piece:

“the National Labor Relations Board, which protects the rights of workers who organize for better wages, also alleges that Walmart unlawfully threatened or disciplined employees at more than a dozen stores for legally protected strikes and protests. Nineteen workers were fired for protesting and about 40 others were threatened or disciplined, according to the NLRB. Walmart has said it acted within its rights under the law. The latest hearing in that case was in June and no decision has been made yet.”

It will be interesting to see if these protests result in any changes at the company. It will also be interesting to see if any other retailers experience opposition to their employment policies during this holiday season.

-- Joe Seiner